I'm No Cinderella

Chapter 7

Maybe I can run away, leave home and never return.

My family didn't need to know what was happening. The less they knew, the better it would be when the castle guards finally came to the house looking for me. They wouldn't hurt them if they truly didn't know anything, would they? I wasn't sure I wanted to gamble on that chance. I probably wouldn't have been able to bring myself to actually leave, anyway. Could I abandon behind everything I had ever known and loved? The family that I had sacrificed so much for? I thought of my mother's face, my siblings faces, my childhood home. A number of memories flitted through my mind and I closed my eyes against the onslaught. Yes, I would have to leave.

For their safety.

As hard as it would be for both myself and my family, I would need to get myself as far away from them as I could and hope for the best. Lily was old enough to take my job at the bakery. She wasn't finished with school yet, but she had made it further than I had ever gotten a chance to. The transition would be hard for her, but she would make do, or perhaps Reed could work in her place? Regardless, they would survive without me– maybe even thrive with one less mouth to feed.

But then my thoughts turned to Jax. Guilt flooded through me as I pictured his handsome face. How could I leave him behind when everything was just finally starting to come together between us? 

Maybe I could take him with me. I would leave the choice up to him, of course, but the idea alone eased some of my fear. I wouldn't have to go alone.

My stomach lurched violently.

I wrapped an arm around myself as Ash spoke up from across the carriage, "Rosie? Are you alright? You look like you're about to puke."

I shook my head at him, unable to speak through the churning in my guts. He ignored me, reaching over to bang on the little window in the front to get the drivers attention. "Stop the carriage!" He yelled.

We rolled to the ride of the path and stopped. I shoved the door open as my stomach lurched once again, and I barely made it out before what little I ate of my dinner came rushing back up.

I sat, crouched on the ground, heaving up the meager contents of my stomach for several minutes. Ash was behind me, rubbing my back awkwardly for comfort and choking back his own gags. It didn't seem to matter how many times I heaved, the sharp twisting in my stomach refused to ease up.

When I had completely emptied my stomach, I sat back on my heels wiping my mouth on the back of my hand with a grimace.

Ash stood over me and offered a hand to help me up, "You ready to head home?"

The mere thought of continuing the rest of the journey way home had me back on the ground, dry heaving once again. Then it all clicked into place.

"Turn around," I told the driver in a soft voice as I carefully rose and climbed back inside the carriage.

"What?" Ash exclaimed, following me inside.

I took a deep breath to steady my shaky breathing and give myself a moment to fight back my panic before answering, "I have to go back to the castle."

"Rose, look at me," Ash pleaded, grabbing the sides of my face to force me to meet his eyes. "What is going on? And don't you dare say that you'll tell me later, you will tell me right now!"

Tears stung my eyes as the true reality of my situation sank in. "I was claimed," my words were no louder than a whisper, but I might as well have yelled them with the way Ash flinched back.

"What?" This time, his voice was much softer, grey eyes full of terror.

I just nodded in silence, the tears finally spilling forth from my eyes. "Then why did we turn around?" He raised his voice again, looking at me like I had just grown a second head, "We need to get away from there!"